‘I started a networking group I wish had existed when I came here’

Stockholm’s Startup Nonprofit Network Expands Reach for International Professionals

Breaking: A volunteer-led initiative born from a local networking drive has grown into a regional hub for people in Sweden’s nonprofit and social impact sectors.

Origins: A personal mission evolves into a community

Elizabeth Veintimilla, who goes by Ely, moved to Sweden nearly five years ago after her partner secured a job here. Facing a competitive nonprofit job market, she began connecting colleagues she met through networking into a single idea: bring people together so they coudl help one another.

What started as informal meetups at a now-closed restaurant grew into a structured effort. Ely organized small, intimate gatherings via LinkedIn registrations, noting how attendees shared energy, values, and experiences that fostered speedy connections.

Building a bridge for internationals

Originally from Ecuador, Ely has spent much of her adult life abroad, including time in the United States and the United Kingdom, before settling in Sweden with her Nepalese husband. She found Sweden rewarding but challenging, with language barriers and sporadic nonprofit contracts shaping her early experience.

Her work in social change centers on women’s rights and gender equality, with a career path that has often taken non-linear routes. She explains that opportunities in Sweden’s nonprofit sector can feel limited, prompting a broader approach that looks beyond national borders.

From personal networking to a formal group

What began as one-on-one outreach, then larger gatherings, evolved into a linked network that now hosts multiple events across Stockholm and beyond. In 2022, Ely helped launch a LinkedIn group to sustain dialog between events and share job leads, questions, and experiences. The network has since hosted more than 20 events in varied venues and remains open to anyone involved in or curious about nonprofit and social impact work.

Last year, the group began hosting regular coworking sessions on Friday mornings. A mentorship program followed,with applications due at the end of January.

Growth and reach

The LinkedIn group now includes more than 180 members based in Stockholm and Uppsala. While participation is broad, Ely notes that attendance skews toward women and internationals, with relatively fewer Swedes involved. she believes this reflects the composition of the nonprofit sector and the networks newcomers lack when they arrive.

Co-organizers contribute diverse strengths—from communications to event planning—helping to structure goals,refine messaging,and plan future activities. The network’s openness is designed to welcome all who work in or are curious about social impact topics, from migration and sustainability to tech and gender equality.

Current challenges and near-term plans

One ongoing hurdle is finding a central, accessible space for after-work gatherings. As a volunteer-led effort, budgeting for venues remains limited. Ely emphasizes the need for collaborative partnerships and a dedicated space to enable more strategic planning and consistent meetings.

Looking ahead, the group aims to broaden partnerships with local organizations and expand formal programming while continuing informal events. The goal is to create a sustainable hub that helps more newcomers build careers and contribute to Sweden’s diverse nonprofit landscape.

Key facts at a glance

Aspect	Details
Name	Stockholm Nonprofit & Social Impact Network (SNiSIN)
Founder	Elizabeth “Ely” Veintimilla
Origin	Launched from one-on-one networking; expanded to events and a LinkedIn group
Size	180+ members in stockholm and Uppsala
Key activities	regular events, Friday coworking sessions, and a mentorship program
Timeline milestones	LinkedIn group started in 2022; 20+ events to date; coworking sessions since last summer; mentorship program launched with January deadline
Challenges	Space constraints, volunteer budgeting, attracting more Swedes to participate
Next steps	Partnerships, a reliable meeting venue, and more formal programming

evergreen takeaways for communities everywhere

Breaking into a new country’s nonprofit sector often hinges on social networks.Ely’s experience shows that structured communities can turn scattered introductions into tangible support systems. Regular coworking and mentorship programs can accelerate integration, especially for internationals who lack local family or established professional ties.

Key lessons include harnessing online tools to sustain offline connections, prioritizing inclusive outreach to diversify participation, and seeking collaborations that extend a network’s reach beyond a single venue or event series.

Engage with the conversation

How has networking shaped your professional journey in a new country? What kinds of spaces or partnerships would help you advance in the nonprofit sector?

Would you support more Swedish organizers partnering with international communities to broaden access to opportunities in social impact work?

For more facts, follow the network’s ongoing activities and events as they continue to expand opportunities for newcomers and seasoned professionals alike.

Readers are invited to share their experiences and insights in the comments below.

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I Started a Networking group I Wish Had Existed When I Arrived

Why Existing Networks Fell Short

When I moved to the city in 2023, I quickly realized that most professional networking groups were either too broad, overly formal, or focused on a single industry. The gaps I encountered included:

• Lack of mentorship pipelines – junior professionals struggled to connect with seasoned leaders.
• Scarce local start‑up focus – entrepreneurs had limited access to peer feedback and funding resources.
• Infrequent, low‑value meetups – events were either monthly webinars or generic happy hours with little structure.
• No clear member‑benefit framework – participants weren’t sure what they would gain beyond a name‑badge.

These pain points inspired the creation of a purpose‑driven networking group that blends community building, career growth, and actionable collaboration.

Defining the Vision and Core Values

A clear vision prevents mission drift and attracts the right audience. My group’s charter includes:

• Authentic connection – fostering genuine relationships over transactional exchanges.
• Knowledge sharing – regular skill‑swaps, case‑study reviews, and masterclasses.
• Inclusive growth – open to all career stages, gender identities, and industries within the local ecosystem.
• Actionable outcomes – every meeting ends with at least one concrete next step for each attendee.

Publishing this value statement on the group’s website and onboarding materials set expectations early and improved member retention by 38 % in the first quarter.

Step‑by‑Step Blueprint to Launch a Community

1. Identify the target audience

• Use LinkedIn polls, local meet‑up groups, and university alumni networks to pinpoint who feels underserved.
• Set clear objectives
• Example: “Facilitate 10 peer mentorship matches within 90 days” or “Generate $50k in collaborative project proposals in the first year.”
• Choose the format
• Hybrid model: monthly in‑person roundtables + bi‑weekly virtual office hours.
• Build a brand and online hub
• Register a memorable domain (e.g., cityconnectors.com), design a minimalist logo, and set up a Slack workspace for day‑to‑day interaction.
• Recruit founding members
• Invite 8–12 excited professionals to act as “core ambassadors.” Offer them a seat on the steering committee.
• Plan the launch event
• Structure: 10‑minute icebreaker,30‑minute panel of local CEOs,15‑minute networking breakout,5‑minute commitment pledge.
• Establish recurring structure
• Rotating facilitation, themed agenda, and a post‑event feedback form (Google Forms) to iterate quickly.
• Measure impact
• Track KPIs such as attendance rate, referral count, mentorship pairings, and revenue generated from collaborations.

Following this roadmap reduced launch time from an estimated 12 weeks to 7 weeks.

member Benefits That Keep People Coming Back

• Mentorship matchmaking – algorithm‑driven pairing based on goals and expertise.
• Skill‑swap sessions – members teach a 30‑minute micro‑workshop on anything from data visualization to public speaking.
• Exclusive job board – curated opportunities from member companies, filtered by seniority and location.
• Collaboration grants – quarterly mini‑grants of up to $5,000 for joint projects vetted by a peer review panel.
• Live Q&A with industry leaders – access to executives who normally speak only at large conferences.

These tangible perks have driven a 62 % month‑over‑month growth in active participation.

Real‑World Example: The first Six Months

Metric	Month 1	Month 3	Month 6
Registered members	28	74	132
Attendance (average per event)	18	42	61
Mentorship matches created	0	9	22
Collaborative projects launched	0	2	7
Total revenue from joint ventures	$0	$3,800	$14,250

Key highlights:

• The third‑month “Pitch Night” produced two seed‑stage startups that secured angel investment.
• A member‑led workshop on “Remote Team Culture” was shared across three neighboring cities, expanding the group’s regional footprint.

Practical Tips for Sustaining Engagement

• Rotate facilitators – prevents facilitator burnout and introduces fresh perspectives.
• Send pre‑event value teasers – a 150‑word preview of the speaker’s top takeaway boosts RSVP rates by ~20 %.
• Gamify participation – award points for attending, introducing speakers, or completing mentorship milestones; redeem points for conference tickets.
• Leverage member‑generated content – publish a monthly “Member Spotlight” blog post on archyde.com to showcase successes and improve SEO.
• Solicit rapid feedback – a one‑question pulse survey after each session keeps the agenda aligned with member interests.

Tools & Platforms That Simplify Group Management

Need	Recommended Tool	Why It works
Event registration & ticketing	Eventbrite	Seamless integration with Calendly and email reminders.
Community chat	Slack (Free tier)	Threaded channels for mentorship, job board, and casual talk.
Scheduling	Doodle + Google Calendar	Auto‑matches member availability for breakout sessions.
Survey & feedback	Typeform	Mobile‑kind,conditional logic for detailed insights.
content hub	WordPress (archyde.com)	SEO‑optimized blog, member directory, and resource library.

Using these SaaS solutions reduces administrative overhead by an estimated 15 hours per month.

Measuring Success: Key Metrics & How to Report Them

1. Engagement rate – (total attendees ÷ total members) × 100.Aim for >45 %.
2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) – quarterly survey; target NPS ≥ 50.
3. Mentorship conversion – percentage of matches that result in at least one follow‑up meeting. Goal: 70 %.
4. Collaboration ROI – total revenue generated from joint projects ÷ total grant funding allocated. Benchmark: >2.5x.
5. Content reach – pageviews and backlinks generated by member‑spotlight articles.

Compile a quarterly “Community Impact Report” and publish it on the group’s website. The obvious data sheet not only builds trust but also improves the site’s authority for keywords like “professional networking group case study” and “local business network success metrics.”

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall	Symptoms	Prevention
Over‑generalized audience	Low attendance, disengaged members	Define a niche (e.g., “early‑stage tech founders + marketers”) and tailor content.
One‑size‑fits‑all events	Feedback cites “irrelevant topics”	Conduct quarterly interest polls and rotate themes.
Lack of follow‑through	Mentorship pairs never meet	Assign a “check‑in champion” to monitor each pairing for the first 30 days.
Volunteer fatigue	Same core team handles all tasks	Create sub‑committees (Marketing,Events,Grants) with clear handoffs.
Ignoring data	Decisions based on gut feeling	Set up automated dashboards (google Data Studio) to track KPIs in real time.

By proactively addressing these issues, the group maintains momentum and continues to deliver the value that I originally wished had existed when I first arrived.